Leyton by-election, 1965

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The Leyton by-election, 1965 was a parliamentary by-election held on 21st January 1965 for the British House of Commons constituency of Leyton in East London.

The seat had become vacant when the constituency's long-serving Labour Member of Parliament (MP), Reginald Sorensen, was made a life peer 15 December 1964. An MP for over thirty years, his elevation to the peerage was intended to create a vacancy in a safe seat for the Foreign Secretary, Patrick Gordon Walker, who had been defeated in the 1964 general election in his Smethwick constituency.

The result of the contest was not as planned: the Conservative Party candidate, Ronald Buxton, won with a majority of 205 votes, a swing from Labour of 8.7%. Gordon-Walker regained the seat for Labour at 1966 general election.

[edit] Votes

Leyton by-election, 1965
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ronald Buxton	16,544	42.9	+9.4
	Labour	Patrick Gordon-Walker	16,339	42.4	−8.0
	Liberal	Alistair H Mackay	5,382	14.0	−2.2
	UK & Commonwealth Party	Jeremiah Lynch	157	0.4	N/A
	Disarmament	George Delf	156	0.4	N/A
Majority			205	0.53
Turnout			38,578	57.7	−12.5
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+8.7